Friday, April 1, 2005

Route 360 Accident Kills Woman

Three-Year-Old In Vehicle Sustains Only Minor Injuries

A 52-year-old Alton woman was killed Wednesday night following a single-vehicle accident on Route 360 westbound, according to the Virginia State Police.
Karen Lucado McKinney, of Turbeville Road, was pronounced dead at the scene after she allegedly fell asleep behind the wheel of her 1994 Isuzu Rodeo, according to Trooper G.M. Gilliam.
According to state police officials, the Isuzu reportedly ran off the right side of the roadway, up an embankment and overturned.
Gilliam said McKinney was ejected from the vehicle during the 8:32 p.m. accident.
According to reports, McKinney’s grandchild, a three-year-old in the vehicle at the time of the accident, sustained only minor injuries in the accident.
The child was allegedly in a child safety seat in the back seat of the Isuzu.
The accident occurred approximately one-half mile east of Route 344.
No charges were filed, according to police.
In other police business, George Faucette, 60, of Brown Summit, N.C., was charged with following too close as a result of a Tuesday afternoon accident at the intersection of Route 360 and Route 58, according to Virginia State Police Trooper K.R. Martin.
He said a 1995 Chevrolet Van operated by Faucette rear-ended a 2001 Chevrolet pick-up operated by Daniel Cole Jr, 48, of Virgilina.
No injuries were reported.
Martin estimated the pick-up sustained $2,500 in damages while the van sustained $500.

 

Teen Escapes Attempted Abduction

A 45-year-old Pittsylvania County man is facing assault charges after an alleged attempted abduction Tuesday night in Halifax, according to Halifax Police Officer Aaron Britton.
Britton said the charges stem from an incident in which James Jeffery Jones, of Hilltop Road in Ringgold, allegedly pulled over a 17-year-old Mountain Road female shortly before 7 p.m.
Police were notified of the incident after the teen returned to her home and told her mother about the attempted abduction.
In interviewing the teen, Britton said the incident began when a white Ford Taurus followed the teen from a nearby restaurant “tailgating her and flashing lights at her.”
“She then… pulled over (near Halifax Elementary School) to let the vehicle pass, but the driver pulled in behind her and the driver exited his car,” Britton said.
According to police reports, Jones approached the teen’s car and asked for directions to South Boston.
“(The teen) stated she answered him and proceeded to rollup her window when he reached in and grabbed her around the neck area and tried to pull her out of the window,” Britton said.
According to police, the teen then began blowing her car horn in order to attract attention.
“(Jones) then released her and ran back to his car and pulled off,” Britton said.
After the attack, the teen wrote down the license number of the Taurus, which was traced to Jones.
“I then had a Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Deputy go to the residence and make contact with the registered owner (of the Taurus),” Britton said.
The teen and her mother, who had traveled to Jones’ residence with Britton, then made a positive identification, according to police.
“When asked if he had been in Halifax County that evening, he said he had not been in Halifax for several months,” Britton said. “After he stated this, I advised him that the young girl that he grabbed was in my police car and (had identified him as the suspect who attacked her).”
Jones then told police that he had become lost and asked the juvenile for directions.
“He further stated that he only reached in and tried to hug her, not pull her out of the car,” Britton said.
Members of the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office and the Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office assisted the Halifax Police Department in the investigation of the incident.

 

VIR Developers Now Seeking Private Project Financing

IDA champions Nyholm’s financing efforts but is pursuing funding as well to guarantee the project.
Developers of the JOUSTER and VIPER properties at the Va. Motorsports Technology Park at VIR have added a partner and are pursuing their own financing for the properties, according to Connie Nyholm, a partner in the AC Development project.
Nyholm said yesterday that she is “very optimistic” about AC Development getting the loan. She expects a decision today.
The developer also said that JOUSTER sought Lot 19 in the Technology Park because it is contiguous to a 21-acre test site.
JOUSTER (Joint Unmanned Systems Test, Experimentation and Research Site) develops and tests unmanned vehicles that can be used in combat situations. “We are just the landlord, we try to deliver what people ask for,” said Nyholm.
She said if financing is successful, AC Development will lease to VIPER and JOUSTER with options to buy.
VIPER (Virginia Institute for Performance Engineering and Research) will offer performance testing and cutting-edge technology with the capability to simulate conditions on any track in the world.
JOUSTER has received sponsored research projects from the Department of Defense (including the Army, the Joint Robotic Program and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) and VIPER has received funding from NASA and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
These represent two of the projects with over $12.5 million in financial commitments that the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) has partnered with Virginia Tech, Halifax County, the U.S. Department of Defense, NASA, Old Dominion University and VIR to establish in the Southside region.
The Halifax County Industrial Development Authority is also pursuing financing for the projects’ development.
“We champion AC Development, LLC, in their efforts to get their own financing, but we are moving down a similar track at the same time to provide our due diligence to the Board of Supervisors so that these projects are not lost,” said Mike Eades, IDA executive director.
Eades described the projects as important to the motorsports industry in Halifax County and to partners at Virginia Tech, ODU and the DOD.
IDA’s multiple requests for financing proposals are due April 8, according to the IDA director.
The VIR Impact
“There’s always something going on at VIR,” said Connie Nyholm, VIR co-owner/developer.
If sleek, sexy sports cars driven by the very rich dominate your vision of the 1,200-acre VIR campus, it’s certainly not the economic development picture county officials see.
First, Halifax County receives all real estate taxes from development at VIR, which was about $67,000 last year, according to IDA Development Director Patsy Vaughan. That does not include a new 27-room lodge, a restaurant added this year or the companies located at VIR’s Raceplex.
“We’re projecting room revenues would generate about $30,000 in lodging taxes,” said Nyholm of the new lodge. There are also plans for additional lodging.
In the formative stages, a not-for-profit Motorsports Academy, which would be a boarding school for motorsports enthusiasts, drivers and young engineers.
Already, the CIA, FBI, Navy SEALs, Marines, the International Diplomatic Corps and security training teams play a major rental role at VIR, which is renting out different sections of its 4.2 mile track as well as using 15 to 20 miles of off-road trails, according to Nyholm.
. Utilizing two tracks within the system, Nyholm said rentals equaled 375 days last year. “And we expect 80 more days for security this year,” she added.
VIR also offers a Citadel Shooting Range for military/security teams.
Nyholm said racetrack rental rates are $2,500 to $8,000 per day, depending on the time of year, day of week and track configuration.
Racing schools also conduct driver training at the track.
Mercedes and General Motors’ Corvette and Cadillac have also brought cars to VIR for trials and publicity launches.
Of course, the track’s birth was racing.
“VIR is one of the favorite places of NASCAR NEXTEL CUP and NASCAR Busch Series race teams to come test their cars and equipment,” said G-V Sports Editor Joe Chandler. “VIR also holds races for many levels of road racing from vintage races to Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) regional events to races for open-wheel Indy-type cars. VIR also has races for stock cars and hosts major-league events for the Grand Am Cup Series and the exotic Daytona prototypes of the Rolex Sports Car Series.
“In other words, they have something for everybody,” said Chandler.
“The facilities and the wide variety of racing events that are held at VIR make it one of the country’s premier road racing tracks. It’s a real gem.”
Motorcycle racing is one of the largest spectator draws at VIR with about 15,000 at last year’s AMA Superbike Race, according to Nyholm. VIR also hosts motorcycle races staged under the sanction of WERA.
Spectator events include Vintage Drivers Club of America and BMW Club racing this month, Historic Sports Car Racing in July and the VIR 400-Grand-Am Cup, Rolex Sports Car Series and BMW Club event in October. There’s also the Stock Car Spectacular in September, and those are only a few of the March through November scheduled events.
Only 19 days per year are reserved for member days.
.Nyholm estimates about 200,000 people come to VIR annually.
While Danville and Pittsylvania County get a lot of business from those people, Halifax County does too, according to Jerry Lovelace, assistant Halifax County administrator.
“On spectator event weekends, motels here and bed and breakfasts are booked, as well as some rental housing. A lot of people come to South Boston to eat,” he added.
“I believe the VIR campus, AC Development and the industries coming out there are one of the most significant economic development events to occur in our county in a long time. This has the potential of being the leading economic force in the county. There are so many things going on out there with DOD security training, the Euro Rally and businesses.”
Long-term plans at VIR also call for residential development along the roadway near South Paddock, according to Nyholm.
So far, the co-owner said that about $20 million has been invested in the VIR properties.
“And with the exception of the water/sewer, which we, Pittsylvania County, Danville and the Tobacco Commission funded, there’s been no local tax money spent there,” Lovelace said. “The key issue here is the VIR umbrella encompasses more than a racetrack.” (Currently a VDOT road project is proposed with 2004 funding.)
VIR also ties in with Gov. Mark Warner’s Virginia Motorsports Initiative, with funding available for motorsports-related businesses and attracting jobs and investment to Virginia, “ said Vaughan.

 

Obituaries

Cordell Francis

Cordell Francis, 71, of 1043 Dusty Road, Nathalie died March 30 at Halifax Regional Hospital. He was the husband of Mildred Woodson Francis.
Mr. Francis was born in Halifax County on January 3, 1934, the son of the late Robert Thomas Francis and Ida Jones Francis. He was a member of Childrey Baptist Church and a retired carpenter.
In addition to his wife, survivors include one daughter, Penny F. Jordan and husband, Rayford of Nathalie; two stepsons, Jerry Woodson and wife, Mildred, of Nathalie and Gary Woodson and wife, Dianne, of Chatham; one stepdaughter, Brenda Woodson of Clarksville; one step-grandchild, Lynn Fail; three step-great-grandchildren, Joshua, Joey, and Johanna Poole; three brothers, Roy Francis of Nathalie, Tommy Lee Francis of Danville, and Danny Ray Francis of Altavista; three sisters, Louise Singleton, Shirley Peade, and Barbara Rudd, all of Nathalie. Mr. Francis was preceded in death by two brothers, Edward and Earnest Francis.
A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. tomorrow, April 2, in Henderson Funeral Home Chapel in Brookneal by the Rev. Larry Martin. Burial will follow in Childrey Baptist Church Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 7:00 to 8:30 this evening at Henderson Funeral Home, and other times at the home of Penny and Rayford Jordan, 1018, Dusty Road, Nathalie.

Karen Graves Lucado McKinney

Karen Graves Lucado McKinney, 52, of 4121 Turbeville Road, Alton died March 30 at Halifax Regional Hospital. She was the wife of Donnie McKinney Sr.
Mrs. McKinney was born in Halifax County on April 11, 1952, the daughter of the late James Patrick Graves Sr., and Betty Hammock Graves, who survives. She was a member of Alton Baptist Church and the National Association of Realtors, and was employed as a real estate agent.
Survivors include her husband of the home; one son, Patrick Edward Lucado of Horicon, Wis.; two daughters, Ellen Lucado Matthews and Maria JoAnne Lucado, both of South Boston; one stepson, Donald Franklin ‘Frankie’ McKinney Jr. of Halifax; her mother of Keysville; one brother, James Patrick Graves Jr. of Keysville; one granddaughter, Jalyn Rose Matthews ; and three grandsons, Kobe Wilson Epps, Edward Willard ‘E.W.’ Lucado, and Jacob Franklin McKinney.
Funeral services for Mrs. McKinney will be held tomorrow, April 2 at 2 p.m. at Alton Baptist Church with the Revs. Dennis Ball and Richard Saunders officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends this evening, April 1, from 7:00 to 8:30, at Brooks Funeral Home, and other times at the home.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Alton Baptist Church, P.O. Box 11, Alton, Va. 24520, or Turbeville Volunteer Fire Department, 8146 Philpott Road, South Boston, Va. 24592.

Evelyn Dodd Owen

Evelyn Dodd Owen, 88, of the Masonic Home of Virginia, formerly of Halifax, died March 30.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Earl Kenneth Owen; a brother, Thomas Dodd; and a sister, Virginia Ebert.
Mrs. Owen worked 21 years for the State Department of Rehabilitative Services, and served as a volunteer missionary in the Philippines in 1979. She was a former member of Beth Car Baptist Church in Halifax, where a missionary group was named in her honor. She was president of the Women’s Missionary Union in Richmond. At Hatcher Memorial Baptist Church, Mrs. Owen served as a deacon, Sunday school worker and assistant organist. She was a member of the Bryan Park Woman’s Club.
Funeral services will be held at Woody Funeral Home at10 a.m. today, April 1. Burial will follow in Clover Cemetery, Clover.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider the Masonic Home of Virginia or the Endowment Fund at Hatcher Memorial Baptist Church.
Survivors include a daughter, Jane Owen; one sister, Louise D. Pollard; and serveral nieces and nephews.

 

Comets Sweep Dan River; Face Penn Baldwin

HCHS Will Be Trying To Extend Its Win Streak To Three Against Penn Baldwin Here Tonight

BY Joe Chandler
G-V STAFF WRITER

Having won two games in as many games and having climbed over the .500 mark, the Halifax County High School varsity baseball team will be looking to establish its biggest wining streak of the young season here tonight when it faces the Baldwin High School Highlanders from Pennsylvania.
The Highlanders, one of two northern teams the Comets face that swing south to launch their seasons, will face the Comets in a 7:30 p.m. contest that will follow a game between the jayvee teams of the two schools.
Halifax County coach Kelvin Davis says he and his Comets teams always look forward to the visit by the Highlanders as it pits them against a team that usually is loaded with talent.
“Baldwin always brings a good ballclub down here," said Davis.
“ Hopefully we can get into a position where we can come out with a win."
The Highlanders will come into tonight’s contest here at Comets Field with an 0-2 slate, a mark that is not indicative of just how strong there are.
Two days ago, Baldwin led GW of Danville 8-0 after three innings only but fell victim to a late GW rally that resulted in a 12-9 GW win.
Baldwin gave GW another tough contest Wednesday night, a contest GW won 6-2. The win lifted GW’s record to 5-1 on the season while Baldwin slipped to 0-2.
Tonight’s game will be a big one for the Comets who are trying to establish a good wave of momentum before heading into the start of Western Valley District play here Tuesday against E.C. Glass.
Davis said the team’s main concern is the slate of Western Valley District contests, However, his Comets team needs to play well in the non-district games as well.
“We don’t put that much emphasis on them (the non-district games) but we know we need to win the ballgame," said Davis.
“ We’re going to do all we can to win the ballgame. At the same time, we’ve got to look at the pitching rotation and be sure we have what we want to have when we open district play.
“It’s all about saving arms and trying to keep everybody healthy so we can go into district play with everybody healthy," added Davis.
“We’re just trying to be conservative right now."

Varsity Softball Drops Two At Home To Tunstall

Comets Fall 8-1, 10-2 To Trojans Wednesday

BY Doug Ford
G-V STAFF WRITER

The Comets varsity softball team ran into a solid Tunstall squad here Wednesday night, the Trojans collecting nine extra base hits and 21 hits overall in taking both ends of a doubleheader 8-1, 10-2.
Halifax had five hits in the first game and three in the nightcap, Lori Reeves (double), Amanda Rogers, Lashunda Davis, Heather Oakes and Mandy Watts getting the hits in the first game, Reeves’ºhit in the seventh scoring the Comets’ only run of the opening contest.
Rogers added a base hit in game two, and Davis and Nelson smacked back-to-back doubles in the seventh inning to give the Comets their first run. Cari Clark reached base on a two-out error that scored Nelson with the second run of the game for Halifax.
Chalk this one up to a learning experience for Halifax, the Comets using all four pitchers and changing its lineup throughout both games in order to better prepare them for district play.
That was coach Melanie Saunder’s goal coming into Wednesday night, and Halifax learned some valuable lessons, she said.
“I would have loved to have won both these games, but we’re using them to put to put players in different positions to see what they could do," began Saunders.
“My goal when I came out here today was not to have one pitcher hurl each game, and have the same set defense for both games," she said.
“That’s not what we need to do now, we need to prepare for the district games, and having games like this against this competition is great for us right now. Their [Tunstall] pitching was solid and their hitting was more than solid.
“Tunstall is a great team with hitters throughout the lineup," she continued. “They have fluid hitters who go where the ball is pitched, and it’s hard for softball players to learn that…an outside pitch, they punched it out there, an inside pitch they hit it early.
“But, against a team like this and their pitching, I think my kids did well, it wasn’t like their pitchers were setting us down with strikeout after strikeout. We made contact, but we’re just not hitting the ball where we want it to go.
“I have to applaud them for fighting back at the end of both games, down by those margins, and scoring.
“I told them if they could do that in the last innings, we could manufacture some runs early on."
Saunders noted the Comets tried to do just that, but had some miscues at the plate trying to advance runners.
“We have a lot of work to do, and we’re still learning."
The varsity softball team opens Western Valley District play at E.C. Glass April 5, with game time at 6 p.m.
Game One
Tunstall 8, Halifax 1
Tunstall scored single runs in the first three innings before adding five runs the final two innings to take game one.
A double and two Comets errors gave the Trojans a run in the first inning, and two base hits and a fielder’s choice gave it another run in the second.
Halifax had scoring threats in the first and third innings, but couldn’t push a run across. In the first, Jasmine Parker reached on an error, and made it to third after a Rogers sacrifice and groundout by Davis, but was stranded there.
In the third, Rogers hit a line drive that ticked off the glove of the Tunstall center fielder, and Davis singled, but a well-hit line drive off the bat of Nelson was snagged for the third out
Tunstall added a run in the third with a double and single, and hit two doubles and two singles to score two more runs in the fifth. Two base hits and a double led to three more runs an inning later, before Halifax broke through in the seventh for its lone run.
Heather Oakes led off with a base hit, Reeves doubled her home and Watts singled, but the rally ended with a strikeout and a groundout.
Beth Throckmorton started the game on the mound for Halifax, followed by Parker and Jessie Lloyd, who finished the game.
Game Two
Tunstall 10, Halifax 2
One bad inning proved fatal to Halifax in the nightcap, Tunstall using a seven-run fourth inning on the way to a 10-2 win.
Tunstall used a Comets errors and a double to score a run in the second inning, and used three base hits, a double, triple and two walks to help plate seven runs in the fourth inning.
A walk, sacrifice, a Comets error and a double produce two more Tunstall runs in the fifth inning for Tunstall.
The Comets were without a base runner until the fifth inning of the nightcap, before Nelson walked and Reeves reached base on an error. Both runners advanced on a Clark sacrifice, but a good defensive play on a hard-hit line drive by Jessica Morris ended that threat.
Halifax scored its two runs in the seventh inning, Davis and Nelson hitting consecutive doubles to score one run, the other coming home when Clark reached base on an error.
Morris started the contest on the mound for the Comets, and Lloyd came on to finish the game.